St. Patrick's Day

What a busy day it was! I had a nice skype visit with Robert. Where is my honest realtor when you need him? In North Carolina! He is doing well and sent a photo of the first snow in is new home.

I later spent time with my local realtor and two lawyers. Since August I have been attempting to buy the house next to mine. What a long story that is! After four offers, three for a short sale, it looks like it will go into foreclosure thanks to a lot of people not knowing what they are doing.

So by parade time I was ready for green beer and Mexican food! This was hailed as the First Ever Sixth Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade that travels on 98 foot Bridge Street in the heart of "old" down town. Green was the color of the day and the locals, as well as lots of tourists in town for spring break, filled the streets dressed in all manner of green. I do feel a need for some new green hair for next year! The Lyon College bagpipe band from Batesville performed and then a couple had a 90 second wedding. Why not?
The San Diego Chicken pleased the crowd as he danced up and down Bridge Street. Cliff, the well-known postman from Cheers, was the other "dignitary" invited to participate. One would think it was a Mardi Gras parade as everyone threw beads and candy, but why not, since we don't have Mardi Gras parades here. So until next March I will lookin' for that pot of gold!

Sunshine's coming

Whoa! It is already mid March. Where has the time gone? Oh, yes, I was sitting in the recliner for two weeks with what started as a cold and wound up being a bad sinus infection. Today I am determined to hit the road running. I need to go to social security office, realtor, etc. I will try to not overdo it but if the temps hit 70 and the sun shines, I can't make any promises.

I will miss winter

I will miss the cold days and nights. I don’t look forward to the heat and “Chigger Season.” It’s almost time to get out the poison for the little buggers. I finished my taxes and will spend the day looking at the rest of the hour long shows on TV that I taped while we were in Louisiana (16 in all). It was a nice two weeks we spent at Mardi Gras but the pace Susan sets is for the young at heart, not an old codger like me. She was relentless. Up at dawn and back after dark thirty. It will take a couple of weeks to recuperate. She does know her Mardi Gras though and it was a wonderful time.
Leon

So long, February

The temperatures hovered around 39 today with overcast skies and even a few snowflakes drifted to the ground. The birds were excited that I finally filled their feeder.
I enjoyed lunch at Jason's with Kay, Chris, Barbara, Marla, and Diane. I was good and ate a salad while I watched Kay eat ribs. That was difficult.
I had a nice visit with my son-in-law and daughter on the way home. They are staying warm in front of the fire.
Leon has worked on his taxes.
Hopefully March will bring spring weather.

Jiggety jog!

Home again! My first order of business was to pick a large bouquet of daffodils from around the yard. I was worried I would have missed them. It is cloudier and cooler here than in La. Makes me want to go back! The mailman just dropped off a basket of mail. I guess I know what I will do today!

New Orleans bound

We are leaving in the morning for New Orleans so check our other blog to see what you're missing as we enjoy Mardi Gras.

Noah called and made lots of B's and an A on his report card!!! YEA!!!!!!!

Balmy Sunday

It was in the 70s on Sunday and we could not resist raking some more leaves. We had piled some in the ditch alongside the street so we just helped them get across the street. Leon was trying to work on the 5th wheel but the rake just ended up in his hands.

Afterwards we rode out to Crystal Springs campground on Lake Ouachita to see about having the WINs gathering that we host in April out there. We picked up our friend Chris on the way. We were surprised to learn that they will open the entire campground in March so we made a decision. The information has been sent to the WINs for the newsletter and hopefully some folks will show up. Last year there were 30 something. DeGray Lake was quite lovely but a little further from town than this location will be.

Afterwards Chris gave us the backroads tour of Crystal Springs. We were only one block from the highway but I had never been through the neighborhood. It was a treat!

Monday morning brought cloudy skies and a forecast of rain. By 8:30 I was on the mower mulching the woods and some little leaf piles in the yard so a brisk wind would not send them all across the yard again. Before long the rain started and it rained most of the day. Now we are done and I can start raking the woods, but not this week! And maybe never.

Aren't we retired?

We sure seem to be busy! We went to Little Rock one day last week to look at bicycles and bike racks at the bike shop, but look was all we did. Afterwards we enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire on the big screen at the Rave. It got our votes as a very good movie.

Friday Leon went back to Little Rock and got a bicycle rack at Camping World to try. It fits on the bumper of the 5th wheel and works perfectly. The bikes are loaded and ready to ride. While he did that I enjoyed lunch at Lake Hamilton (the school, not the lake) with some of my former teaching friends.

Friday night we went to gallery walk. The weather was in the 60s, the food and wine was fine, the art was good, and I ran into several friends as is usually the case.

Today I must choose between Razorback basketball and going to see New in Town with my friends so I will tape the ball game. They aren't doing so well these days anyway. The movie has poor ratings from the critics but the regular folks give it a B and Renee Zellweger should be worth a viewing. Leon will go see Push. Hopefully, we will find time to rake a few more leaves at some point.

Super Bowl weekend

What a great weekend and not just because of the super bowl. However it was a good one. We were pulling for the Cardinals but it was still a very exciting game. Leon was ready with his 3-D glasses which also worked for Chuck on Monday night.




Very special was that Jeff came and got his vw out of the carport. We could not believe that after it sat since September it would still start and run. Oh, it's a Volks Wagon!

Both Saturday and Sunday were sunny gorgeous days and we finally attacked the leaves in the yard. We just hooked up the mulcher to the quad and drove it to the leaves that Leon raked into a pile. Where was Noah? If only we had gotten more than half of the yard done.

BRRR

It is cold! Monday afternoon the freezing drizzle created icy bridges while the temps hovered around 31 most of the day. By dusk they finally had to close the bypass after many wrecks. Kay's 20 minute trip home from work took 1 hour 45 minutes due to ice on the bridges over Lake Hamilton.

The roads were not so bad yesterday morning and it warmed up and misted most of the day. That provided a nice day for a shopping spree. The stores and streets were virtually empty. Not even a line at TJ Maxx!

And to think we came home from Texas for this!

Home again

The trip back from Texas was peaceful and the truck ran great with its new sending unit in place. This is our new sending unit and our new mechanic. Too bad he lives 8 hours way.

The two minor leaks we fixed on the road due to freezing weather in December were an easy fix and now we are winterized again. Leon did a great job of backing the trailer up and down the hills to get it situated at the dead end. We are quite pleased with the no longer new 5th wheel. It is perfect for us. Now we can reflect on how much fun we had the last two weeks while we plan the next adventure. However, we did not plan on 78 degree weather one day and 40 the next. 28 degrees tonight might test the winterizing!

Frosty morn

When the camelias bloom I have learned over the years that we can expect cold weather. Well it is here.

Sunday and Monday the temps hovered around 31 at various times and created a winter wonderland in the woods. The trees stood still while the ice illuminated the branches.

We think it is a good time to hook up to the 5th wheel and head for Texas to visit friends and family. We will head for Canyon Lake south of Austin and then move to Livingston as we travel in the right lane. Hopefully we will run across wifi and let you know how much fun we are having.

Movie Madness

Sunday was a misty chilly day - a perfect day for Leon to stay in and watch the football games after grocery shopping. Mary, Darla, Chris, Golden and I however spent the afternoon with Brad. The Benjamin Button movie was better than I expected. The highlight was visiting after the movie with Sid and his mother who were sitting in front of us. He was the set decorator for the movie and gave us lots of insight into the filming and sets. He was in town visiting with his mother. Chris and Mary stopped for a visit and then Leon and I bowled three games! Monday is colder and rainy and a great day to work on my new exercise program!

Happy New Year

Six of us gathered for New Year's brunch. We (Chris, Carolyn, Mary, Darla, Kay and I) posed for Leon to take our photo.


Kay presented Carolyn with the door prize while Mary looked on.

We toasted with champagne and bloody Marys while we passed around egg souffle, bacon, sausage, cheese grits, homemade bread, fruit compote, Dixie caviar, sausage pinwheels, and of course some black-eyed peas.

From the table we made it to the den for a try at the Wii Fit. Kay set up a new Mii for Chris.

May all of my friends have such good friends with whom to enjoy 2009.

The last day of the year

Well here I sit at my new computer on the last day of the year. What did I do today? Well I installed our new wireless printer and it works great. I also drove around Hot Springs looking for a new tool box for my truck with absolutely no luck. I did go by Arkansas tire and they gave me a good location in Arkadelphia at Atwood's. I called them and made an appointment to have one put in my truck on Friday.
Susan had a wonderful time watching the Razorbacks beat Oklahoma yesterday. It's all she can talk about. Mary and Susan are real Razorback fans. They are a part of a phenomenon I have witnessed in all of Arkansas. The people in this state are what I would call super fans. I do have to admit it was an exciting event.
Susan is having her girlfriends over tomorrow. I do love the way she gets so into entertaining her friends. They are wonderful people and they do mean a lot to her.
I am hoping after the first of the year we can head for Texas and a visit to my home (which I have never seen) in Livingston, Texas.
I have a new trailer that I have never used and I can’t wait to try it out.
It will be three years for Susan and I on the 12th of February. I can think of no place that I would rather be then with Susan and the warmth of her home and her heart. We will celebrate the New Year the way I always do sound asleep. I am looking forward to next year, it has to be just as good as 2008.

Christmas

Christmas was as it should be .. a peaceful day shared with family and friends. Leon and I had dinner Christmas Eve with Kay and John and some of John's family. On Christmas morning I prepared my annual brunch and soon the house was filled with the Christmas spirit. All of the cousins were elsewhere for the first time ever so the crowd was small.


David was quite pleased with his new hat thanks to Will. This was his first Christmas to spend with us and we were delighted that he joined us.



John and Kay open their gifts from Will while Leon checks his stack of presents.



Jeff made out like a bandit, then he went to Walmart and bought the new rock band he really wanted!



We got out the Wii Fit that I have had for several months but never had used. Kay led the way.

The next day I was still in the shopping mood so I headed out in the little white car I recently purchased at an auction to replace Little Miss Sunshine! I think I am ready for next Christmas now! The weather during the week varied from 16 degrees to almost 70 with thunderstorms and a little ice at times but no snow!

Movies

We have enjoyed Christmas music, lights, and shopping so now it is time to enjoy a few of the movies that seem to flood the theaters at Christmastime. Leon, Darla, Kay and I went to see Four Christmases on Monday. It was a cute little movie that left you in good spirits and perhaps thankful for the quiet, sane Christmas we expect to experience. There are several others we hope to see. I just hope I can survive all the buttered popcorn!
It is time to shop for ingredients for my Christmas brunch and the temperature at the time is 30 degrees. I can see the icicles forming on the Camelia bush as the rain tries to drip off. By noon it should be above freezing and time to maneuver the crowds at Walmart!

Shopping

Saturday morning was a beautiful sunny day so about 7 Leon and I went for our Saturday Senior breakfast at Perkins. As we passed Belk's I realized crazy folks were already shopping..or maybe they were the smart ones ahead of the crowd. Since I had finished my Christmas shopping I went of to do a little "to me from me" shopping while Leon took off for a new computer. He had spotted a bargain and it was the one he had been watching for. I later encouraged Mary to join me and helped her pick out some new clothes for her Christmas trip to Austin. Then Kay joined us for lunch at the San Francisco Bread Company.
Sunday, while Mary and her son Will packed for Austin, Kay and I attended a magnificent music program at her church. We left before I had to explain two dozen times that no, I was Mary's sister..being a twin isn't always easy.

Music and lights

This December has been filled with music. A new resident who made Hot Springs her home after the New Orleans hurricane/flood is a magnificent soprano. She has surrounded herself with other local musicians and formed a group, The Muses, to further spread the joy of music in the community. My sister and I attended a performance in town and then Chris, Mary, Joy and I headed to Garvan Gardens for another Christmas program.




The Anthony Chapel is a recent addition to Garvan Gardens and makes a grand statement among the stately pines. It was designed by members of the E. Fay Jones architectural firm of Fayetteville. Fay Jones once studied under Frank Lloyd Wright. It was the perfect place for us to enjoy the Christmas music. I especially liked the 4 trombones that joined the 3 sopranos, a tenor, and a bass.


Afterwards we enjoyed a walk among the Christmas lights in the gardens on an especially balmy 67 degree night. The lighted displays almost make you feel like a child again as I stroll among the candy canes with Joy and Chris.






On a much chillier night Leon and I drove among the luminaries set up in the Prospect neighborhood in town. Afterwards we wandered among some of the lights downtown and even stopped various strangers to get our photo made for our annual Christmas card.

Holiday season

I have always wanted to put lots of lights in the yard and woods and this year it happened. Well, a few were put out! Where we will put them the rest of the year is yet a mystery. We took advantage of a 50+ degree day to electrify the front yard. Putting these things together was not easy in the beginning! Leon got to transport the angel. Since we are at the end of a dead end street with no neighbors in view we are not sure many will see the display but we sure enjoy it each night. We want to wish a very happy holiday season to all of our friends!

Maids of Jubilee

My daughter, Kay, hosted our group of special girlfriends for the annual Christmas gathering. Chris' daughter Joy and Kay visit in the kitchen. It is nice that young people enjoy being with us.

Kay had her house gaily decorated for the Christmas season with her Annalee collection scattered about. She had even climbed the ladder and found a new home for some of her Santas, which made for a magical display.

John came home in time to take a photo of us all at the hearth! All of the group was together and it was a special evening! During the past year we had experienced elation when Margaret got married and devastation when Chris lost her husband after a brave struggle with brain cancer. For seventeen years we have been getting together almost monthly in each other's homes for a meal and a visit and once in awhile we take a road trip. We are always there for each other. We named ourselves the Maids of Jubilee after a Mardi Gras group from Alabama.

Garvan Gardens

Each year Garvan Gardens provides a spectacular Christmas display lighting most of the gardens and turning them into a winter wonderland with more than 1.7 million lights. We joined the Weyerhauser folks, John's employer, for a light supper before walking on the trails.


John, Kay, and Mary are huddled under a wreath. The temperature was 37 degrees with a slight wind that made it colder. The hot chocolate and cider helped us stay warm.

My camera just could not do justice to the brilliantly lit gardens.

Thanksgiving

What a busy week visiting with family. We had the holiday meal at my house and enjoyed Jeff, David, Mary, Kay and John being here. Turkeys were everywhere. Yes, we had a big turkey and also a tofurkey for the vegetarians and even turkey cookies from Mary's kitchen.


On Friday Mary fed us all with soup, sandwiches and veggies. The butternut squash was the best. Kelly and Sean had driven in from Austin and Will came from Fayetteville. Will could only stay one day but he was happy to see food and family.


Saturday night found most of us at Kay's enjoying pizza. John had gone on his annual deer hunt in south Texas. He was pleased to shoot an 8 point buck, a 10 point buck and a javelina. They were just trying to thin out the crop!


On Sunday we convened for brunch at Gilligan's. Cousin Andrew joined us from Dallas and then Kelly and Sean departed for Austin with it snowing outside. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Kay did the best shopping on Black Friday. Her new purple shoes will be a hit!

Music Music Music

Did you ever wonder what song was the #1 hit the day you were born? Well this is mine. Definitely showing my age now, aren't I?

If you too are curious then this site will give you the information and take you right to itunes to get a copy .. how clever!

Back to Mac

Several years ago I switched to a PC for the trip software available after having used Macintoshes for years. Today I went to an estate auction to buy a car but the exciting part is that I now am a Mac person again .. and for $100. People that don't know Macs don't always realize the hard drive might be in the monitor so I was just buying a 20" monitor .. or so everyone else thought. Then I found out it is only 5 months old! How sweet!

What to throw away?!!!

Paula and Drew

What a treat to have a visit from our Fayetteville friends. Drew came to hang out with his cross country team at the state meet since he is injured and couldn't travel with the team. We enjoyed taking Paula to her first gallery walk and then supper at Brau Haus.

Horseshoe Trail

Susan and I went for a 3 mile hike on a mountain in Lake Catherine State park. We had hiked the 2 mile one on Sunday a week ago at the same place. I used to look forward to getting old so I could slow down, what happened? Susan?

My knee is great so now I have to get the rest of the body in shape. I'm overweight by about 15 lbs and it's all in my stomach. Susan and I finally have no hurts and it's time to get healthy. I also swim at the YMCA on Mondays and Fridays for exercize.

Susan was in front of me by about 50 feet and she didn't see the black racer. She must of just missed stepping on it.